Pneumatic control for marine steering apparatus



L.. v. H. ARMSTRONG I PNEUMATIC CONTROL FOR MARINE swanamc APPARATUSJ Filed Nov. 19, 1925 HIJJT My Patented July 6,}1926 7 f g uNrTE oj stares LLLQYD v. H. An srRouG, on UPPER MoNToLAI'RfuEwann snr; assieimimome a. .SOLL-BAND COMPANSQOE JERSEYY'GITY; NE JERSEY,., AjjooRPoRArroN"ornnw f l" JERSEY.

Putnam oournonronmnnrun's'rnnjainoAPrAnArus;

- Application filed November 19,1925; Serial-No e9,94s.

This invention relates to marine steering apparatus and more particularly'tor pneumaticmeans for controlling such apparatus.

It is an object o fthis inventionto enable the usual hand-operated steering apparatus for boatsto be converted'for operation by fluid actuated means such as compressed air or steam motors simply and inexpensively.

-' Other objects and advantagesof the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out-hereinafter V y Inthe drawings forming part ofthe specilication'and in which similarreferencecharacters refer to similar .parts,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of anapparatus for marine steering converted in accordance with thepractice of the invention to be operated by motive fluid;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the automatic stop mechanismctaken along the line 2 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the throttle of. the fluid operated motor,- and 'Figuresl, 5 and 6 areviews of the automatic stop mechanism showing the mode of operation thereof. v

Referring to thedrawings and more particularly to Figure 1, A represents the deck of a boat upon which are bolted suitable u ori hts B su ortin ra drum C and a steerl e PP e 1' ing wheel D. A shaft E journaled in the uprights B forms the axis about which the drum C andtlie steering wheelD rotate. The rudder is operated by a suitable rope F wound about the drum C and'guided over 7 suitable pulleys G. In the ordinary operation of a steering gear'of this type; the rud cle'r is operated by-a man at the wheel B turning the wheel and shaft E to rotate the drum C whereby the rope F is caused to pull the rudder in the desired direction.

' On relatively large boats the wheel B is very difficult to manage and consequently the steering of such a boat requires great strength and endurance. However, the usual expense of installing the usual electric or steam apparatus is prohibitive. simple I apparatus for converting the steering gear to pneumatic or steam controlled is provided by this invention and includes a fluid, ac-

tuated motor H preferably mounted below the deck A and having a sprocket J to operate a chain K passing over a relativel large sprocketL on the shaft E. v

:The :motor H is controlled" by a throttle; valve shownin; detail in Figure 3 which i111:

cludes a sleeve 'Ogrotatablefon a hollow tube! P. A valve-Q i 'aidapted t seat at 1% within the tube Ptoc'ut oil the supply-oi motive j fluid from a pipe S attached [by means of a'threaded bushing T to'thetube P; -Normally, the'valv'e Q'ishe ld tolits seat a coil'spring U" pressing against the headof ii I the valve and the bushing 17. 370 admit motive fluid to the motor the valve Q, raised from its seat by a pin-JVfeng'agedby the sleeve O and adapted to ride on a heart shaped'cam surfaceof "a guide WV. V

--The casingof the motor "is provided with a pair ofpassages Y controlled b the tube]? which has" anexhaust passage Z 00-" operating with the passages Y. The inlet of motive fluid is controlled by the lifting of a plug 6' in the tube P. admitted through a passage 0 in they plug 6 and through a port d to one or the other of the passagesY depending upon the direction of rotation of the tube P. In this manner motive fluid is admitted to the rotary valve 6 of the motor H. The reversing, valve is described ingreater detail in connection with a motor in U. S. Patent No. 1,566,096 granted to Francis A. Jimerson,

Dec. 15,1925. The reversing throttle valve for the motor H' is manually controlled by a handle 7 attached to a vertically disposed rod 9 coupled to the sleeve 0 by a tube 71. keyed to the sleeve 0 and cut away as at is to accommodate the supply pipes. The

position of the handle permits the steer's Motive fluid is man to stand in approximately the same position as when controlling the steering by turn continuously, whereupon the rudder is" correspondingly turned. Means is provided to prevent the motor H; from turning the 1 I rudder farenough to cause it to strikeheavifly against its stops. To this endthere is provideda sprocket o engaging a'chain p I v a attached suitably at g toa cord 1* guided over suitable idler pulleys -s to a pulley t.

lhe rope r and chain pare connected to I form a continuous loop about the pulleys "t and the sprocket 0. Thepsprocket .0 is suitably connected or attached to the .s'haftE so as to rotate with the drum" C. In the ordinary movement of the cord 7" the pulley should not turn andto this end the eord 1' may be greased or otherwise prepared so as to prevent frictional engagementwith the I pulley t. However, atfpositionsof the cord .4" corresponding "to the positions at which the device when the (rudder has reached the it is desired to stop the rudder suitable clips or engaging members u are attached which re arranged to engage the stop members 101011 the pulley t. In the operation of limiting position one of the stops will strike the stop members 1) thereby engaging the ,Tpull'eyit and turning the throttle valve 7 to itself or neutral position as shown in Fi umes 4, -5 and In Fig-ure 4E theicontrdlling handle f' is shown turned to a position to turn the rudder. In "this position the cord 1' slips freely on the pulley t as the drum 6 ,rotates. Figure a one 03; "the members at isshown ina position-at wh i-oi-h the position 0$ the rudderihasbeen reaohed.- One of the members'u is" about to engage one of themem bers o to turn the handle 7 back to the position shown in Figure'fi.

between sa idinotor and said shaft, a reversie bl e' throttle'Val-ve andmeans to prevent op' erat-ion vo-f the motor to rotate the drum beyond a point dangerous to the :nud'dfir, inclnding espr-ooket on said shaftand an endless. Chain and cord connection, pulley on said throttle Wall-ye normally not engaged positions corresponding to dangenous' 'positions of the rudd r. I

by (said jcond, and stop members 011 said pulley and said cord mutual-1y engaging at a In testimony whereof l have signed this speeifieation.

LLOYD v. nansrnone 

